Inside gage fob



E. I. BLISS.

INSIDE GAGE FOR FITTING SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED sEPT.1o.1911.

1,317,681. Patented OCI. 7,1919.

UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE.

ELMER J'. BLISS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

INSIDE GAG-E FOR FITTING SHOES.

Application filed September 10, 1917. Serial No. 190,453.

To all -w/wm t may concern Be it known that I, ELMER J. BLIss, citizen of the United States, and resident of Boston, Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Inside Gages for Fitting Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention `relates to the fitting of shoes and is intended to provide a gage adapted to lie between the bottom of the foot and theV inside surface of the shoe bottom for the purpose of accurately gaging the length of the foot in comparison with the length of the shoe while the shoe is actually on the foot, and the weight ofthe. person kbeing measured rests normally on the foot.

It is common knowledge that injuries to the foot, such as ingrowing toe-nails, large joints and other troubles are very frequent occurrences due to the fact that too short shoes are selected. ther troubles such as fallen arches, etc., are due to the selection of shoes that are too long for the wearer.

Now when a person tries on an ordinary shoe the stiff box in the toe makes it impossible to tell accurately just where the end of the great toe lies inside of the shoe. Heretofore the attempt to select a proper fit has been largely a matter of guess-work supplemented by more or less unreliable judgment. The usual measuring or size stick is apt to be misleading because different feet will spread or lengthen different degrees according to the shape and build of the particular foot. To overcome these difficulties and afford a reliable and certain means for ascertaining whether a particular size shoe is the proper size for the person trying it on, I have devised a special gage comprising essentially a thin flat longitudinal member adapted to lie between the bottom of the foot and the inside of the shoe bottom or insole without interfering with the proper fitting of the shoe, and adapted to permit the weight of the wearer to rest thereon in a natural manner.

The particular construction thereof and the mode of its use will be hereinafter explained and the characteristic novelty thereof will be defined in the claims hereto annexed.

In theV accompanying drawings I have illustrated a simple and convenient form embodying the principles of this invention in which,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oct. v, 1919.

the posi- .gage removed from the shoe.

In the practice of the invention according to the form illustrated, I employan elongated thin flat strip a of a somewhat flexible material of a length corresponding to a particular size of shoe and adapted to lie flat on the inside surface of the shoe bottom so as not to appreciably raise the foot in the shoe or cause discomfort when the weight of the wearer rests thereon.' v

To the forward end of the longitudinal member is secured a small spacing member which is here shown-as a wooden or'metal block whose forward surface is suitably curved to fit into the extreme toe portion of the shoe-.upper and whose rear portion or face extends transversely of the longitudinal iipember a preferably as a flat or plane surace. l

This spacing or toe-member b may be secured to the longitudinal memberY in any suitable manner but I prefer to make the connection a detachable one by the use of screws b or other suitable attaching means in order to permit the substitution of spacing toe members of different shape or thickness if desired.

Ordinarily in fitting a person with a round or broad toe shoe', such for example as army shoes, it is customary to add two sizes to the actual length measure of the foot indicated by the usual size stick but this rule is only an approximation and does not apply to all shapes of feet. Suppose, therefore, that the size stick indicates a foot size of S-- then the salesman would naturally select a lOlshoe for the foot. Before trying on'the 10% shoe, however, the size 10%,- interior gage will be inserted in the shoe as indicated in the drawings. The length of the interior gage memberl should be such as to fit snugly between the heel and toe portions of the shoe so as to prevent longitudinal slip or displacement. Ordinarily for this type of shoe the toe or spacing member Z; will have a thickness from rear to front corresponding to one size of a shoe, namely, about 5/16 of an inch. If the shoe has a pointed toe, however, a thicker yspacing member =or toe block should be'used running` from l-j to possibly 2 sizes vin'thi'ckness according to the shape of the toe.

When the proper gage has beenins'e'rted'in the shoe, the person being fittedputson the shoe and rests his Weight thereon 'ina normal manner so ,as .to allow the foot to eX pand'an'd lengthen. In this position the eX- treme end of the great- .toe shoul-dfslightly graze the rear or transverse face of the toe block.' Id? the toecannet touch k"the block at al1 the shoe is vtoo ilong. Lf the .toe presses strongly against the block7 the shoe is too short. It will, of course, betunderstoodfthat dierent length gages must be used for dit'- ferent sized shoes, each gage corresponding to the interior lengthofthezslioe.

Thev :above described devices form. a means for perfectly and :reliably ascertainingthe: correct ylocation ofthe: end of the toe in the shoe :and when used as' T:descrirllaed forms a me anso vplfeventinrg fthe',selection of Leither ztoo short ortoo` :long a .shoe which have caused so much Vinjqury .and trouble.

WhatfI-felaimis: 1. An interi-or gage for itting 'shoes 1cm bracing' a fiat `member :adapted to he xlongtudinally lbetween fthe bottom lof -thel doot and :the insole .of the shoe', and .yatoeigaging` member secured @to :the forwardiend .of vsaid longitudinal vmember .and eXtendlng@transel -versely of :the longitudinalmember ifn yposition gto form a contact with rthe extreme end of the toe, substantiall-yfas described.

2. An interior gage for ttmg shoes embracing in combination a lthin flat flexible member of a length corresponding to the inside length of the shoe, and a toe gaging member projecting upwardly from the longitudinal .member in position to be inter-V posed between the extreme toe portion of .the .shoe .and the toe of the inserted foot,

the longitudinal member in position to oc cupy theiteefe'f the shoe, andhar/,ing a transverse rear *face for..1gaging' the position of the toe of an inserted foot 4. An interior gage member comprising fa. v

strip of' :flexible -nraterial adapted to rest longitudinally ken ithe `:bottom of the shoe,

and av toe-tilting `member-detacha'bly securedto the forwardiend. thereof `and forming an accaratefspacng @means :between y,thejend of therxgreat xtoe :and the extreme end *of the since, substantially as described. A Y

Y:51;.Lperrrinside gage for v.determining .the proper lengtthfod vshoe comprising yessentially a Ltoe `lpie'ce adapte'dfto :t into l.the rtip 4of ithe tue .portion `of 'the' lshine' and a thin filexible strip .extending rearwardly therefrom so .as to die between thefsoleof the :Eon-t and the -insole orf theeshoe'When-the shee vis on the foo-t, substantially -as fdeseribed. 1

In witness u1-hereof, I have 4,subscribed .the abe-ve specification.

ELMER J. BLISS.

Gepies-:ofthii-spatentimay beicbtained-fordive cents eacltlhy addressing. the ibmmissoner of Patents,

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